Waddler

It started yesterday, I stood up from my desk at lunch time and I couldn't walk, intense sharp pains were shooting through my lower back and I just couldn't seem to straighten up.  Figured a good night's sleep (ha!) would fix the problem and then this morning, I still couldn't walk.  It took me 15 minutes to walk the 3 minutes from the parking lot to work.  How am I going to get through two more weeks of work like this?  Is this pregnancy waddle?  I thought that was caused from the pelvis spreading, not from shooting pain.  The only place I feel good is in the water, need to get in the tub.

35 Weeks!

So here we are, 35 weeks.  Up until last week I was feeling pretty good, thinking....I've got this thing under control..... i'm sleeping okay, eating, walking every day....well that all ended this week.  I haven't slept in days, between the heartburn, itching, peeing, heat and general discomfort I am almost delirious with exhaustion.  It's a struggle to keep my eyes open during the work day.  Back and rib pain make sitting all day pretty unbearable and daily walks are getting harder to handle.

There's a part of me that hates to complain,  after pregnancy loss and fertility issues I should suck it up and count my blessings right?  However the part of me that hates to complain is shrinking as quickly as the rest of me is expanding.

Baby blues during pregnancy?

Last night I found myself googling "depression in the third trimester" and was surprised by how many women were talking about their experiences with the pre-baby blues.  I've definitely found myself in a dark cloud these last few days and with a history of depression and the loss of a previous pregnancy it shouldn't come as a surprise that I am predisposed.  None of the baby books I read mentioned anything about antenal depression but I found this article from the UK Sunday times (2007) that does a great job explaining antenatal depression, the causes and what you can do about it. 

"Women undergo a barrage of tests during pregnancy to check their weight and blood pressure and assess the development of the foetus, but are rarely asked how they feel – whether they are coping emotionally with the prospect of a new life turning their own upside down." - The Sunday Times December 4, 2007

Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin

Another one of those pregnancy side effects I never knew about.....facial hair....well just one hair really on my chin.  Who knows how long I was walking around with that long black chin hair!  However, the hair on my head is amazing, thicker than ever and growing like crazy.  I'll be devastated when it goes.

Tick Tock

The little ticker to the right tells me that I have less than 50 days left until my due date.  This brings me to thoughts of how this little sucker is getting out of me.  Based on a personal recommendation, and the highest Amazon ratings I've ever seen for a book of this type, I read Ina May Gaskin's book "Guide to Childbirth." Ina May is a founding member of the Midwives Alliance of North America and author who writes about natural childbirth, she has attended over 2,200 natural births.

The first half of the book is made up of stories of women who have been through the natural birthing process, I found them a little too granola and repetitive.  The second half of the book more than makes it a worthwhile read.  It walks you through the entire birth process and did a pretty good job of convicing me that my instinct to avoid epdiurals, pitocin and other interventions is the right thing for me.  Obviously everyone's experience is going to be different and you don't know what roadblocks you will encounter, but Ina May's book convinced me that with proper preparation and the right mental approach, this is something that I can do (or at least strive for).  I'm still scared but I'm more scared of medical interventions, as Ina May says "your body is not a lemon" and it will know what to do.

33 Weeks

Sore.  Moody.  Achy.  Tired.  Nauseous.  Done. 

I thought I was your only baby!

Mama, I like being an only child.